FORT MYERS, Fla. – Mike Napoli did some baserunning drills Wednesday and remains on schedule to make his first appearance in a Grapefruit League game Friday night when the Red Sox host the Pirates. He's slated to start at first base.
                              
Napoli took several turns running home to first, home to second, first to third, second to home, and third to home. It was the second time this spring he had done any base running drills. He said he had no ill effects after his first running session on Monday. Napoli said he expected to be sore Tuesday. But he had been doing some running on the pool treadmill and the anti-gravity Alter-G treadmill (which reduces the impact on joints) before his Monday outing, which helped prepare him.
 
Napoli has been brought along slowly this spring after he was diagnosed with avascular necrosis in both hips this offseason. The only thing he hasn’t attempted yet is sliding. He doesn’t expect to be restricted from it when he does get into games.
 
“No, we talked about it,” he said. “I’ve gone every spring, you don’t slide for the whole offseason, as soon as there’s a double play you try to break it up. You just do it. I’m not saying I’m the most graceful slider in the world. But I think I’ll remember it.”
 
Despite the diagnosis, Napoli has been pain free, which has helped to alleviate any concerns.
 
“I think it was just the muscles in my legs, just getting them in shape,” he said. “I haven’t thought once about my hips in anything I’ve done because I’ve never felt anything. So for me to worry about my hips hurting when they haven’t, it doesn’t bother me. I’m just worried about getting my quads and my hamstrings and everything in shape.”
 
But, in addition to dealing with a newly diagnosed medical condition, Napoli is also learning to adjust to a relatively new position at first base. Just 133 of his career 672 defensive games have been at first. He played 28 games there last season for the Rangers.
 
Napoli has been working regularly all spring at first base with coach Brian Butterfield. On some days he took 100 groundballs at the position. The biggest challenge, he said, was his footwork and positioning on the 3-6-3 double play.
 
“Yeah, just talking with [Butterfield] and being in the right position,” Napoli said. “Because I never knew what the right position was or how I should go at it. I just try to be athletic over there and make a play. Now it’s almost like a guideline. I take ground balls and I put myself in the right position over and over, that my body just reacts. It’s starting to react now. I just go out there and take ground balls and let everything happen.
 
“Now I feel comfortable doing it.”
 
Butterfield has seen Napoli’s progress this spring.
 
“He’s such a good athlete and he’s used to playing in a low position when he’s catching,” Butterfield said. “Basically what I told him was get yourself in a position to catch the ball first. You’ll be surprised that your feet will go in the right spot more often than not.
 
“I think he’s starting to figure out on his own that if he just trusts in his footwork after he receives the ball number one is just go catch it. The other day was his best day by far.”
 
After his Grapefruit League debut on Friday, Napoli expects to play in games on an every-other day basis, determined by how he feels.